meal planning: nicoise salad

Have you ever thought about what you are eating every single hour of your day? My response will forever be no. Sure, I have been on weight watchers and numerous other diets throughout my life, but I have never had to meticulously think about the nutritional value of the food I am ingesting this much. That is until I found out I was pregnant. Oh boy… After that moment everything changed. There are so many do’s and don’ts that I feel the need to google “can pregnant women eat (insert item)” Every single time my stomach screams for food – which is every other hour. I am serious. My iPhone already knows what I’m about to type and it always gives me a helping hand by filling in mid-way through my sentence. It happens everywhere; at the grocery store, restaurants, at the office and even at home. I have to admit it can get kind of embarrassing, but who cares right? I’m assuming everyone knows I’m a newbie at this and will continue to learn throughout the process. Pregnancy still freaks me out and amazes me all at the same time.

Anywho, let’s get down to business. Ever since my list of don’ts have increased exponentially, I've been having a really hard time figuring out what to cook at home. Since I am the first one home in the evenings, if there is no plan in place, I usually end up devouring a buttery grilled cheese standing up at the kitchen counter. Needless to say I have to get back on my meal planning game in order not to gain the 50 Ibs I am terrified of gaining and to feed this little peanut some nutritional value other than carbohydrates and dairy.

I was very excited when I came across this salad on Pinterest. It’s the perfect mix between cooked and raw veggies and it’s not boring – and has olives and carbs! Win-win in my opinion… The original recipe had canned tuna and after googling “can pregnant women eat canned tuna” and finding out that the answer consists in a very long debate, I decided to substitute it with chicken breast. 

Let the meal planing begin! 

  

Nicoise Salad (Serves 2)

via The Jewels of New York

• For the dressing:

2 tablespoons champagne vinaigrette

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and fresh ground black pepper

• For the salad:

4 ounces green beans

½ pound small new potatoes

2 eggs

2 small heads of jem lettuce (or 1 head romaine), cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup baby heirloom tomatoes, halved

¼ cup assorted olives

cooked chicken breast

¼ cup parsley, finely chopped

Whisk together champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until combined, until thickened and emulsified. Set aside.

Boil a saucepan of water, add green beans, and cook for about 3 minutes or until bright green. Drain, and place in an ice bath, drain again and set aside. Refill saucepan with cold water, and add potatoes. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them cool. Toss the potatoes with just enough dressing to coat. Place eggs in a small saucepan of cold water. Bring to a boil and cover. Remove from heat. Set aside for 8 minutes. Place in cold water to cool, then peel and slice in half.

Assemble the salad in a large dish. Arrange lettuce, green beans, eggs, tomatoes, olives, and tuna. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with parsley right before serving. 

Hope you come back soon,

M

meal planning: quinoa tabbouleh salad

I know. Quinoa is so trendy. But trust me, after you taste this recipe from Closet Cooking, you too will start including it in your grocery list. It's light and fresh. With ingredients such as parsley, mint, cucumber it's the perfect spring side. Roll up your chopping sleeves and pour a glass of Pinot Grigio, dinner is served! 

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed

• 1 cup tomato, diced

• 1 cup cucumber, diced

• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped

• 1/4 cup mint, chopped

• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground (optional)

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring the water and quinoa to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has all been absorbed, about 17-20 minutes and let cool.

Mix the quinoa, tomato, cucumber, parsley, mint and green onion.

Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper and toss with salad.

Missed last recipe? Take a look here.

xoxo,

m

meal planning: prosciutto, tomato and olive spaghetti

Recently I started planing my trips to the grocery store. It all started when I realized that I was spending hundreds of dollars in food every month and never ending up cooking anything special. It was always a freak out, put something together quick kind of night in my kitchen. Not any more friends. Ever since I decided to eat out less, I learned how to plan my meals. And by mine, I mean the Hodges household. Yep. That meant even though I wanted something quick after work, it had to be healthy, hearty and meaty. Because men need their protein! :) 

With that said, I am going to start sharing a few of my favorite recipes here. I'm not a food blogger and never will claim myself as a cook. However, I like cooking simple and yummy recipes for my husband and I to eat together and since I do a ton of research, why not share it all with you?

Let's start with the best food item on the list, shall we? Pasta... This is a favorite and even though ingredient list is extensive, it is a simple and hearty meal. Hope you like it! 

Prosciutto, Tomato and Olive Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 lb dried spaghetti

8 cups of water

2 teaspoons sea salt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 garlic gloves, finely minced

2 shallots, finely minced

1 cup black olives, pitted

3 to 4 tomatoes diced

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2.5 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

a handful of fresh parsley

1/2 lb prosciutto 

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil and add salt.

2. Drain pasta but save about 1 cup of the pasta water 

3. Wipe clean the same pot and set over medium heat with olive oil. When oil is hot, lower heat and saute garlic and shallots for about 1 minute.

4. Increase heat and add olives cook for 1 minute.

5. Add diced tomatoes and cook until soft, about 1 to 2 minutes.

6. Add wine and stir until alcohol has evaporated, about 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Stir in tomato paste and butter until dissolved.

8. Put pasta back in the pot and mix. Add reserved water if pasta seems too dry.

9. Toss with Parmesan cheese and sprinkle chopped parsley.

10. Garnish with prosciutto slices and serve.  

Recipe from Tartine and Apron Strings